


nice and rosy and comfy cozy

by teeandrainbows



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: 4+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No First Dark Curse (Once Upon a Time), CSSS2020, Captain Swan Secret Santa (Once Upon a Time), Christmas, F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Lieutenant Killian Jones, Lieutenant Killian Jones/Princess Emma Swan, No Curse No Magic, Pining, Princess Emma Swan, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28302441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeandrainbows/pseuds/teeandrainbows
Summary: Four times Princess Emma is helped into a sleigh by a nameless naval officer, and one time she goes on a sleigh ride with him and learns his name.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan
Comments: 12
Kudos: 75
Collections: CSSS2020





	nice and rosy and comfy cozy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xhookswenchx (ReluctantPrincess)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReluctantPrincess/gifts).



> Hello xhookswenchx, tis I, your CSSS this year! I've never written Lieutenant Duckling before, but I tried extra hard for you! I hope this is Hallmark-y and cute and really, I just hope you like it!
> 
> Merry Christmas to all, and have a lovely evening if this is not a holiday you celebrate!

Snowflakes were floating on the gentle breeze and Princess Emma of Misthaven spread her arms wide, twirling and letting her new gown billow in the action.

“Do you like it?” she asked, coming to a stop and smiling up at her father. King David smiled warmly, regarding his only daughter with kind eyes. It was no secret that the young princess and her father were extremely close.

“You look very beautiful,” her father replied, nodding and reaching behind him. “But you’re missing something.”

Emma blinked at him, tilting her head to the side. When she saw the box his attendant handed him, though, her eyes widened.

“Father, you shouldn’t! It’s only Christmas Eve,” she breathed, although she still took the small box from him. It was covered in blue satin, and fastened with a silver clasp.

“Your mother and I wanted you to have this gift early, so you could wear it to the ball with your new dress.” Her father folded his hands together, watching Emma open the box carefully.

She let out a small puff of air seeing what was inside. With trembling fingers, Emma picked out the necklace, a snowflake pendant with an opal in the centre on a silver chain. “It’s beautiful,” Emma breathed, absently handing the box to the attendant who stepped forward.

“May I?” her father asked, and she handed the necklace to him, turning around and pulling her hair over one shoulder. He fastened the chain around her neck and Emma turned back to him, touching the pendant gently with her fingertips.

“Perfect,” David said after a moment, and Emma beamed.

“Thank you, so much!” she breathed, blinking. “I love it.”

She showed Elsa and Anna, of course, later at the Christmas Eve ball. Anna fawned over the necklace and dress, and Elsa offered a rare smile.

“Imagine when you finally have a suitor and he gives you a necklace like that!” Anna chirped, finally stepping back next to her sister.

Emma shrugged a shoulder, shaking her head. “I don’t know. I’m fifteen, and I still haven’t met anyone. You’d think my parents would have already chosen someone for me.”

“Maybe they want you to choose someone for yourself,” Elsa replied, clasping her hands together loosely in front of her. “I know that’s something I’d want.”

Emma offered her friend a small, sympathetic smile. Elsa was the same age as her, but after her parents had passed tragically, she was now the queen of Arendelle - with her aunt as regent, of course. She would fully assume the throne when she turned eighteen, and already was facing multiple suitors, all of whom wanted the chance to be king of Arendelle at her side.

At the end of the night, Emma joined her parents for their traditional sleigh ride around the castle grounds while their guests were departing. The royal navy was there, standing in two rows lining the path to where the sleigh was waiting, drawn by two large horses. Emma followed her parents down the path, enjoying how the light from the castle reflected off the falling snowflakes, making them shimmer and sparkle. When they reached the sleigh, a young cadet stepped forward to offer his hand to help Emma step up into the sleigh. He was gentle with her, letting her curl gloved fingers around his hand while she lifted the skirt of her dress with her free hand. For a brief moment then, their eyes met.

They were the most striking shade of blue, she noticed. Blue like a clear sky. Emma was entranced in that moment by those eyes, and she offered the cadet a smile, murmuring a soft “thank you” as she had been taught. His face remained impassive, and she couldn’t help but feel disappointed as the moment passed and she settled on the seat opposite her parents.

At a signal from her father, they were off, the horses stepping in perfect harmony. Emma watched as the line of naval officers disappeared into the distance, wondering who the young cadet had been.

= = = = =

Three years passed, and now at eighteen, Emma was growing impatient. Although she had met suitors from neighbouring kingdoms, none had caught her eye. Christmas was fast approaching, though, and she had managed to slip away from the castle in disguise thanks to one of her old friends.

She hadn’t yet found a gift for her mother, and after talking to Anna (since Elsa was busy in Arendelle), she had decided to look in the market. There were many artisans and craftsmen there, selling their wares, and it would be the perfect chance to look for something unique.

The fact that she would have an afternoon free from the propriety of the castle was a bonus.

As she approached the buzz of the market, Emma lifted a blue hood up, covering her easily recognizable hair, and wrapped her cloak tighter around her. Finally, she emerged from an alley and was met with the overwhelming sights and sounds of the market at its peak time.

All around her, merchants were crying their wares, and Emma didn’t know where to start. She slowly meandered through the crowd, pausing here and there to look at an item, but nothing caught her eye. After passing by an artisan selling candles, she shook her head, searching for a way through the crowd to the edge of the market for a break to catch her breath. As she stood still, though, someone bumped into her from behind, sending her nearly toppling to the ground, if not for the hand that grabbed her arm, holding her steady.

“Oh!” she gasped, tugging her arm away and turning around. There was a man standing behind her, dressed in the uniform of the Royal Navy, and a contrite expression on his face.

“I’m so sorry, lass,” he said in a lilting accent. It was a familiar accent to Emma, but not one she heard often.

“Watch where you’re going!” she replied, adjusting her cloak and making sure her hood was still in place.

“It’s not often that someone will simply stop in the middle of the market,” the navy officer said, arching an eyebrow.

Emma paused. His eyes were blue, she noticed. A striking blue. She wondered where she had seen eyes that blue before, and a fleeting memory entered her thoughts. It was unclear, though, and she shrugged it away in favour of examining the rest of the man. A lieutenant, it appeared, with dark hair pulled back, out of his face, and a touch of stubble on his face.

“An officer should be prepared for anything,” she countered, putting her hands on her hips.

The lieutenant chuckled, crossing his arms in front of him. “Hence the reason I was ready to catch you.”

Emma opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it. “I didn’t think the officers were in town,” she settled for instead, tilting her head to the side in challenge.

He laughed again, and Emma felt a pang of frustration. It wasn’t often that people laughed at her, after all. She was the princess!

“Even the navy gets time off around the holidays,” he said finally, shrugging.

A large portion of the crowd chose that moment to pass by, and Emma nearly lost the lieutenant in the movement. Someone stepped on the edge of her cloak and her hood slipped down. By the time she realized, though, the crowd had passed and the lieutenant was staring at her.

“Wait… you’re the princess,” he breathed, swallowing hard. Emma tried to ignore his Adam’s Apple bobbing. “What are you--”

She stepped closer to him, shaking her head. “Please don’t make a scene,” Emma said, glancing around furtively. “No one knows I’m here, and I want to keep it that way.” Thankfully, it didn’t seem like anyone had overheard the lieutenant.

The same lieutenant who was now looking at her with a strange expression on his face. “And why, praytell, is that?” he asked. It wasn’t accusatory, though, she noticed. He seemed to be curious more than anything else, and Emma turned away from him so she didn’t have to look at those distracting blue eyes while she tried to think of a way to answer him.

“My business is no business of yours,” she settled on, taking a few dainty steps away and pretending to be very interested in the stone wall nearby.

It didn’t work. She heard footsteps behind her and turned, glancing up through frosty lashes at the man. “Yes?” she asked, her tone dry.

“As a member of the Royal Navy, I couldn’t very well leave you alone in the market. If you’ll have me, I would like to accompany you until your return to the castle,” he replied, his voice stilted, almost rehearsed.

Emma let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes. “Very well,” she replied, shaking her head. “If you can catch me.”

With that, she turned on her heels and darted off, weaving through the crowd. With the element of surprise, she hoped she could lose him. Thankfully, this wasn’t Emma’s first incognito trip into the market, and she had an idea of what alleys she could duck down and still know where she was, relative to the castle itself.

Her cloak flowed behind her as she ran, and it almost felt like she was one of the heroines in the stories her father had told her when she was little. It was exhilarating! She ducked down another alley, only to stop short when she was met with a wall in the form of the lieutenant, standing with his arms crossed in front of him and an eyebrow raised.

“Like I said, Princess, I would like to escort you until your safe return to the castle,” he said, staring her down with those deep blue eyes.

Emma took a moment to calculate her options. She could try to escape again, or take the loss and walk around with the lieutenant until she found a better opening.

“Fine,” she said finally, lifting her hood back over her hair. “I promise I won’t run.”

“And I shall pretend to believe you,” the man replied, offering his arm. Emma took it, and fell in stride next to him.

“Why are you in the market, anyway?” he asked, glancing sideways at her.

Emma stubbornly remained silent, her eyes firmly ahead, focusing on walking forward. It wasn’t until he stopped moving and tugged on her arm, pulling her back, that she whirled around to face him.

“Like I said, Lieutenant, my business is my business and I’d appreciate your discretion!” she snapped, tugging her arm away and turning on her heels once more, walking forward.

“I’m only trying to make conversation,” she heard him say behind her, although Emma stubbornly refused to look back at him.

“And I’m not interested,” she retorted, pausing at the end of an alley. “You may be escorting me, but that doesn’t mean I have to talk to you.”

“Very well,” the lieutenant replied. He fell silent after that, and Emma welcomed the reprieve.

She walked around the market with him a few steps behind her the entire time, stopping at random stalls and examining their wares. Finally, she found a hairpin with gold leaf detailing that struck her as something her mother would like and pulled out a small sack of coins to pay.

“Wait,” her escort said, stepping forward. “Let me see that.” He took the hairpin from Emma, ignoring her protests, and examined it. After a moment, he turned to the merchant.

“You’re asking too much,” he said, holding up the piece. “It’s impolite to scam a fair maiden.”

The merchant sputtered, and Emma gave him a firm glance of admonishment. He didn’t back down, though, and finally the merchant sighed and turned to Emma, offering a slightly lower price.

“Thank you,” she said, careful to direct it at the merchant and not at the lieutenant, who had given the hairpin back to Emma and had backed away, back to his original couple of paces behind her.

When she had counted out the coins and paid the merchant, Emma turned away and marched off without a word to the lieutenant.

“I’ll be heading back to the castle, now,” she said when he caught up with her, glancing over her shoulder. “You may return to whatever you were doing before you bumped into me.”

He sighed, crossing his arms in front of him. “Once again, milady, it is my intention to remain by your side until you are safely within the castle walls.”

Emma groaned, turning away from him. “Fine!” she said, starting to walk towards the castle. So much for a relaxing afternoon of freedom, she thought bitterly. At least he hadn’t called her Princess that time. When they finally reached the main gate (she wasn’t about to show him how she had gotten out in the first place), she turned back to him.

“Farewell, Lieutenant,” she said coolly.

“Farewell, Princess,” he replied, nodding before turning and walking away.

A week later, at the conclusion of the Christmas Eve Ball, Emma once again swept down the path towards the sleigh with her parents, between the rows of Royal Navy officers. As she neared the sleigh, however, she noticed the man standing at the end and had to hide a scoff. It was the lieutenant, standing at attention. As she approached, he stepped forward, his eyes fixed on some spot in the distance, adamantly not looking at her.

He held out his hand for her and she took it, trying to hide her disdain as he helped her into the sleigh. However, just as she turned back to thank him, she caught sight of those deep blue eyes of his and was hit with a wave of déjà vu. It was as if she had been in this exact situation before, staring into his eyes, her hand in his.

The spell on the moment broke and she tore her eyes away, settling in opposite her parents once again. At the end of the night, just as she was about to fall asleep surrounded by warm blankets and filled with thoughts of gifts and the merriment of Christmas, Emma couldn’t help it.

She imagined the blue eyes staring back at her.

= = = = =

She was nineteen, and more rebellious than ever. She should have been at the Christmas Eve Ball, but instead Emma had snuck out of the castle and had made her way through the market, across the bridge, and was now standing on the shore of the frozen lake, staring out over the ice. Nearby, the castle pointed towards the night sky, and she could hear the faint music echoing from the ballroom. The evening was chilly, and she drew her fur-lined cloak tighter around her, watching her breath rise through the air.

“You aren’t supposed to be here,” she heard behind her. Emma turned, shifting her weight to the side.

“Lieutenant,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “I wasn’t aware that this section of the beach was off limits.”

It was him, the blue-eyed lieutenant who had slipped into her dreams occasionally throughout the year, and more frequently since she had started sneaking away to the seaside village to watch the naval ships in recent weeks. They had come across each other more times than Emma could count, and at some point, their bickering had taken a sudden turn. He had become almost a sort of friend to her, someone who could match her wit. It was exciting, having a secret friend no one else knew about, even if he did always end up taking her back to the castle.

“You should be at the castle, enjoying the ball. It’ll soon be time for the sleigh ride,” he replied, nodding towards the castle.

Emma scowled, turning away from him. “Elsa and Anna aren’t here this year. I didn’t have anyone to talk to, so I came down here instead.”

She could picture the way his nose would crinkle at that, how his brows would furrow as he looked at her. The way his bright blue eyes would narrow. He didn’t like when she talked about feeling lonely at the castle.

“This isn’t like sneaking away to the village. The people will expect to see their Princess at the ball,” the lieutenant countered. Even though Emma still wasn’t looking at him, she knew he would now have his arms across his chest, would be shifting his weight from side to side.

“That doesn’t solve the problem of having no one to talk to,” she retorted, finally turning and taking pleasure in the fact that she had been exactly right about his expression and posture.

“You could talk to me.” It wasn’t a question, or a command. It was a gentle suggestion, offered as an olive branch.

Emma weighed her options. “Fine,” she said. It was Christmas; she wasn’t going to argue with him. “Only if you are at the end of the line to help me into the sleigh.”

He chuckled at that, offering his arm. “I shall endeavour to be there for you, Princess,” he said, a lopsided grin on his face as she slipped her arm through his.

As they started to walk, though, Emma’s free hand drifted to her throat, and her eyes widened. “Wait! My necklace!” She pulled away from him, turning and scanning the snow. “It must have fallen off… it was a gift from my father a few years ago for Christmas, and I wear it every year. If I can’t find it…”

She crouched to the ground in her dress, digging in the snow with mittened hands, trying to find it. The lieutenant didn’t say a word, but instead walked back towards where she had been standing and bent down, pushing the snow around.

“Here,” he called after a moment. Emma paused, lifting her head. He was holding up the silver pendant, and she breathed a long sigh of relief. He then walked back to her, offering his hand to help her rise to her feet. Her fingers lingered on his hand and she peeked up at him, her breath catching in her throat for a passing second.

“Thank you,” she finally breathed, slipping off a mitten and taking the pendant from him. Emma carefully brushed the bits of snow and moisture off the silver snowflake, then hesitated. “Would you…?”

“Of course,” the lieutenant said, taking the pendant back from her. Emma lowered her hood and swept her hair to one side so he could reach around her, his fingers brushing against her shoulders, against the back of her neck. She shivered, but not from the cold. He was standing so close she could feel his breath on the back of her neck, and when he finally drew his hands away, she couldn’t help but notice he didn’t step away.

She lifted her hand, running the pendant through her fingers, then turned around. He was close. Extremely close. His face was mere inches from hers, and his eyes were somehow brighter than ever. Heat rose in her cheeks, and Emma glanced away.

He took a hurried step backwards, clearing his throat. “Shall we return to the castle, Princess?” he asked.

Emma nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat that certainly had not been there before. “Yes,” she replied, slipping her mittens back on and lifting her hood up. It was a nice barrier between the two of them as they walked along the lake short, across the bridge, and through the market.

Sleigh bells jingled in the distance, and they heard a horse’s whinny.

“We must be just in time,” Emma breathed, quickening her pace. The lieutenant agreed and as they rounded the corner into the castle courtyard, the sleigh was there, her parents waiting for her.

“Emma!” her mother called, her tone light, though Emma could detect a hint of exasperation there too. “We were wondering where you were.”

She glanced sideways at the lieutenant, before walking forward. “I’m sorry, Mother,” she said, pausing at the edge of the sleigh. He was still beside her, offering his hand, and she took it, the action feeling natural by now.

It wasn’t until later that evening, after her mother had admonished her for disappearing and Emma had tucked herself into bed, thinking about blue eyes, that she realized something.

She didn’t know the lieutenant’s name.

= = = = =

Christmas didn’t seem so magical at twenty years old. Emma went through the motions, attending the ball, going on the sleigh ride with her parents, and waking up Christmas morning to open gifts, but after barely seeing any of her friends throughout the year, she wasn’t exactly feeling the Christmas spirit. Not even her lieutenant was around. Shortly after last Christmas, he had been called to sea, and she hadn’t seen him all year. It had been impossible to explain to her parents why she was so miserable, given that she barely knew the man, let alone his name, so she had just avoided the subject. She had been helped into the sleigh by a different officer, and there had been no spark, no magical moment. Just the motion of it.

Now, two days after Christmas, Emma found herself at the seaside village, staring out to sea. A Royal Navy ship was docked down below, but she had missed its arrival and didn’t know if he had been on it or not.

Snowflakes fluttered in the breeze as she let out a sigh, thinking it was no use waiting any longer. If he was there, she figured she would have seen him by that point. Making her decision, Emma turned and slowly made her way back into the village.

For once, her visit to the village had been sanctioned, and a carriage waited to bring her home to the castle. Emma nodded to the driver as she approached, and he began preparing the horses.

“Hello there, Princess.”

Emma’s heart skipped a beat. She knew that lilting voice. Spinning on her heels, she beamed at the sight of her lieutenant, standing there with his head tilted. He had more facial hair than she remembered, but it was undoubtedly him, crooked smile and all.

She had to remember that they weren’t alone. “You missed Christmas,” she said, her tone accusatory, her hands going to her hips.

“My apologies, Princess,” he replied, giving her an exaggerated, sweeping bow. “The wind is like the sea, knowing no master nor mistress. No matter the destination, I’m merely its servant.” He topped it off with a playful wink, and Emma had to fight to keep her resolve.

She gave an exaggerated sigh in return, shaking her head. “I suppose I can forgive you,” she said, “although the sleigh ride wasn’t the same this year.”

His lips tugged into a smirk. “Perhaps I could remedy that now,” he said, nodding at the carriage. “A sleigh, it might not be, but surely it will serve our purposes.”

Emma couldn’t help the blush that rose to her cheeks as she regarded him with a long look, taking in everything she could. “Very well,” she agreed, stepping closer to the carriage. She held out her hand while her driver opened the door, and her lieutenant took it, gently lifting her up and in. His touch sent a wave of tingles up her arm, and she fought to control herself as she bent her head to slip through the door. When she was seated, she leaned forward, watching him through the door.

“Thank you,” she breathed, a soft smile gracing her lips.

Her lieutenant stepped closer, his face inches from hers. “Good day, Princess,” he said, backing away and tipping his hat. The driver urged the horses on, and Emma watched as the man stood still, his blue eyes fixed on hers. He faded into the distance, and Emma leaned back against her seat, letting out a heavy breath.

That evening, while she soaked in a warm bath, Emma’s fingers trailed along the edge of the porcelain tub. When she closed her eyes, she could see it again, her lieutenant gazing into her eyes. He had smelled like the sea, she remembered, as she tipped her head back, her hand slipping below the surface of the water.

Her lieutenant.

= = = = =

Another year passed. Emma knew her parents were hoping she would marry soon, but none of the men they introduced to her seemed to fit. Their eyes weren’t blue enough, or they didn’t have enough stubble, or they weren’t able to match her in conversation. And none of them gave her the spark she craved from their touch.

Only one man did, and she made sure she could see him often throughout the year, whether at the dockyard or in the castle itself.

There was only one problem.

She still didn’t know his name.

It was nearly Christmas once again, and Emma had agreed to go on a sleigh ride with a potential suitor, if only to placate her father. It wasn’t too cold, but when the man tucked a blanket around their legs and waists, she didn’t protest. She didn’t even protest when his arm went around her shoulders as the driver urged on the horses and the sleigh started to move, off down the snowy path through the forest. She did, however, protest when his free hand brushed against her thigh underneath the blanket.

That had been nearly an hour ago. Thankfully, the sleigh driver was fond of Emma, and had pulled up the horses at her shout. He had even been so kind as to pull the man out of the sleigh himself, and they had left him behind. The driver had asked Emma if she wanted to return to the castle, but she had refused.

“I want to see the village,” she had told him.

As they approached the village, Emma instructed the driver to stop and she climbed out, draping the blanket around her shoulders as she had foregone her fur-lined cloak.

“Princess,” she heard, and turned, arching an eyebrow.

“Lieutenant,” she replied, extending a hand to him. He took it, pressing a kiss to the back, his stubble lightly scratching.

“Your suitor arrived back at the castle earlier, alone and on foot. I was lucky to be there,” he said, mirroring her expression, “and I figured you would have come here. So, I made my way, hoping to find you.”

Emma shrugged a shoulder. “You know me well,” she replied simply.

“The suitor?”

“A pig,” she replied, scoffing. “Hardly worth my time.”

“And what man would be worth your time? As I have heard it, you are quite particular with the men your parents introduce to you.”

Emma shrugged once again, meeting his gaze. “Someone who knows me well.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Typically, one must spend time with someone in order to say they know them well. Perhaps you should give them more time.”

“And what if I already think I know someone well enough?” Emma replied, staring him straight in those blue eyes. “Someone who knows me as well as I know him?”

He drew in a breath through his nose. “It wouldn’t be proper,” he argued, although he didn’t move, not even when she took a step forward. “You deserve a man worthy of your station.”

“Who are you to say who a princess deserves?” she asked, taking his hand in hers. “Lieutenant, you know me better than any man who would try to court me.” She could sense he was going to argue again and stamped her foot. “Ride with me back to the castle. If you still think it would be improper, then we’ll end this, and I’ll return to the suitors my parents have arranged.”

She watched as he considered it, his brow furrowing and his lips disappearing into a thin line.

“One sleigh ride, Lieutenant,” she pressed, determined.

“Very well,” he finally replied, nodding. “One sleigh ride.”

Emma smiled, feeling victorious as she turned back to the sleigh. Her lieutenant took her hand, helping her up, and she settled into the seat as he stepped up behind her.

“The world looks different from up here,” he commented, turning to face her.

Emma laughed. “It does,” she said, rising slightly out of the seat to look around. The sleigh driver urged on the horses then and the sleigh began to move, jarring Emma and forcing her to stumble and lean against her lieutenant for stability. Her hand ended up on his thigh and she heard him inhale sharply. As she slowly lifted her head to look back at him, the first thing she noticed was his lips, slightly parted. Her hand was still on his thigh, and she couldn’t help but continue to lean into him, angling her chin upwards.

He met her halfway, his lips brushing against hers as the sleigh moved on, through the snow. Emma’s eyes slipped closed as he kissed her, his hand rising to cup her cheek. As far as first kisses went, Emma was glad it was with him. He was gentle, yet firm, and she pressed closer, relishing in the moment. When they parted, her eyes slowly fluttered open, meeting an ocean of blue.

She held her breath, her eyes searching his. When he finally smiled, she released the air, shyly pulling her hand away from his thigh.

“I think… I may have been mistaken before,” he said, brushing his fingers back through her hair. Emma shuddered at his touch, especially when his hands first landed on her shoulders, then trailed down her arms. “It will be difficult for some to accept, but—”

“I’m the princess,” Emma asserted, letting him interlace his fingers with hers. “I will make them accept it.”

He smiled his crooked smile at that, and she felt her heart flutter.

“I don’t doubt that, Emma,” he said, her name rolling off his tongue as smooth as butter. It was the first time he had used her name, and hearing it in his lilting accent sent pangs of need through her. Emma couldn’t help it; she leaned forward, kissing him once again. Unlike the first kiss, soft and serene, this one was more desperate as she tried to express years of pining. She released his hands, looping her arms around his neck as they kissed, oblivious to the forest landscape and snow flurries around them.

This time, when they parted, Emma’s breathing was slightly unsteady and she stayed close to him, almost sitting on his lap.

“I just have one question for you,” she murmured, tucking her head against his shoulders.

“And what is that, princess?” he asked, playing with a strand of her hair.

“What’s your name?”

He chuckled, deep and throaty, and her breath caught in her throat.

“Somehow, it hardly surprises me that we’ve gone this far without that tiny detail,” he said, tucking her hair behind her ear. “My name is Killian. Lieutenant Killian Jones.”

“Killian,” Emma breathed, testing the name on her tongue. It suited him, she thought, reminding her almost of ocean waves.

Her lieutenant, Killian, sat with her in the sleigh until they reached the castle, and when they arrived, he climbed out first, helping her out. Her hand lingered on his as her feet touched the ground and she caught his eye, smiling shyly as he stepped away, tipping his hat.

Christmas was only a week away, but Emma knew that she would remember this day more than any Christmas for the rest of her life.


End file.
